England reports sharp increases in gonorrhea and syphilis, Mostly in gay men

Officials with Public Health England (PHE) reported today on the most recent data on sexually transmitted infections (STI), which shows in 2015 there were 434,456 STIs.

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Gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men (MSM) saw an increase in 10 percent from 2014.

Chlamydia was the most commonly reported STI accounting for nearly half of all STIs in 2015 (46%). Genital warts was second accounting for 16 percent of the total STIs. Bot STIs saw a small decrease in cases compared to the prior year.

Of greatest concern is the dramatic increases seen in gonorrhea and syphilis cases, up 11% and 20%, respectively.

The increases occurred mostly in gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men.

Dr Gwenda Hughes, Head of STI Surveillance at PHE said:

The new statistics show STI rates are still very high among gay men and young adults.

We need to do more to raise awareness about STIs and how they can be prevented, especially the effectiveness of using condoms. We recommend that anyone having sex with a new or casual partner uses condoms and tests regularly for HIV and STIs. It is also vital to ensure there is easy access to STI testing and treatment services that meet the needs of local populations.